Feels Good Folly Fest are looking to shake things up a bit going into their 12th year. The 3-day mid-June music festival, held annually in Gagetown, New Brunswick, announced today that Paul McAllister is looking to step down as their festival director, pending a suitable replacement who is prepared to step into some large shoes.
The news came today in the form of a Facebook job posting from Feels Good, the organizing body behind the festival and many other year-round events. Outlining the duties of the position, the post gives a cursory glance of what’s required of a festival director, without making any mention of blood, sweat, or tears. Presumably the appropriate candidate will already know what they’re getting into.
McAllister has been involved with Folly Fest since it’s inception 11 years ago, but is choosing to step back into a role that leaves him a hand in coordinating some of Feels Good’s smaller events.
When the Folly Fest first started it was far from the successful summer mainstay it is today. McAllister describes it as being a two-day event on one stage, featuring 18 bands, live art being painted on bed sheets hanging from ski racks, and a total attendance of about 20 people. McAllister says the festival was largely attended by volunteers, organizers, and bands members.
“Mind you it was during a Hurricane, so that wasn’t the biggest surprise. The only reason it kept going was due to Picaroons. The Feels Good Pilsner was originally a contract brew for Feels Good, and it made those major losses of the early years manageable. It was a huge break for sure, we never would have made it past year one without them.”
“Today we have over 70 acts and 20 visual artists over 3 days, with 8 stages, and we see 1500 people on average over the weekend. It is a very different animal, but somehow it’s managed to stay true to the vibe since day one,” says McAllister.
“It’s been the run of a lifetime coordinating Folly these past 11 years, but looking to the future, and knowing this isn’t something that I can keep up forever, we’ve had to start looking seriously at options to keep the ball rolling, Finding someone to come on board and shadow me for the year seems to be the way to go. Of course, if we don’t find the right fit, I will keep on keeping on until we do!”
In the last couple of years McAllister has launched Monster House Publishing and written a series of popular illustrated children’s books, both of which are increasingly taking up more of his time and focus. This year, his new career in the publishing world will be taking him to the World Book Fair in Germany as one of the Canadian delegates.
That level of commitment all means time spent outside of the music industry, which McAllister admits has hampered his abilities as Executive Director. Having also left his position as long-time bartender at The Capital Complex, Fredericton’s musical hub, has also had an impact on McAllister’s choices.
“It’s a bit of a harsh truth, but I’m not as connected to the emerging Music scene as I once was,” says McAllister. “No longer bartending at The Capital means I’m not as exposed to the new wild talent I was in the past, so a mix up of coordinators should help freshen up the whole mix!”
While the replacement director is expected to shadow McAllister over the course of this year’s festival, the particular requirements of the position offer a serious challenge. Beyond the booking and the bookkeeping, there is a matter of “curating the vibe” of the festival, and providing the je ne sais quoi that is so crucial to the festival’s experience.
As for his hopes for Folly Fest’s future: McAllister says his top goal is for the festival to simply have one.
“I’ve acknowledged that I can no longer keep running the organization at the pace I have been, but I’m also full aware that it’s a very specific position, and it needs just the right person to take it over,” says McAllister. “They need to know festivals, know New Brunswick, know our art and music scene, and know what Feels Good is all about. I’m sure that person is out there somewhere, so the big challenge is to find them.”
Applicants can contact Feels Good with a resume by clicking here.